^5^ 


Blake 


Report  on  Sing  Sing  Prison 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 

GIFT  OF 

Estate  of 
Klara  ^andrich 


To  be  released  for   Morning  papers,  Monday,  May   13,  1913.     Not  to  be 
previously  published,  quoted  from,  or  used  in  any  way. 

CHESTER  C.  PLATT, 

Secretary  to  the  Governor . 


REPORT  ON  SING  SING  PRISON 


By  GEORGE  W.  BLAKE 

A  Special  Commissioner  Appointed  to  Investigate  Prisons  and  Reformatories 

of  this  State. 

Albany,  K  Y.,  April  21,  1913. 

Hon.  William  Sulzek,  Governor  State  of  New  York,  Executive 
<  hamber,  Albany,  N.   Y.: 

Sib.—  Herewith  I  beg  to  submit  my  report  on  the  management 
and  conditions  at  Sing  Sing  Prison : 

Administeation. 

The  prison  is  remarkable  because  of  the  lack  of  any  cohesive  or 
well  poised  plan  of  government.  It  is  so  slipshod  and  incompe- 
tent as  to  breed  the  suspicion  at  the  first  glance  that  the  purpose 
is  to  cover  up  dishonest  methods  by  a  brazen  show  of  innocent 
carelessness. 

I  found  no  one  man  in  the  prison  who  appeared  to  know  the 
slightest  thing  about  the  work  he  was  expected  to  do,  with  the 
exception  of  the  prison  doctors,  who  are,  without  doubt,  con- 
scientious men  striving  to  do  their  duty  in  the  face  of  manifold 
difficulties. 

AVarden  Kennedy  has  violated  the  law,  he  has  permitted  the 
creation  and  continuance  of  unbusinesslike  methods  and  has 
caused  the  State  to  lose  thousands  of  dollars  in  a  way  that  points 
directly  to  graft.  He  has  made  no  attempt  to  protect  the  inmates 
from  disease  and  vice,  nor  any  effort  to  produce  better  conditions 
in  this  prison.  During  his  administration  scandals  of  the  prison 
management  have  become  rife  in  every  section  of  the  State. 


2 

I  do  not  wish  to  bear  too  heavily  upon  Warden  Kennedy,  because 
I  am  stronglv  of  the  opinion  that  the  facts  set  forth  in  this  state- 
ment are  due  directly  to  Joseph  F.  Scott,  who  was  for  nearly  two 
years  Superintendent  of  Prisons.  I  have  dug  into  the  sterile  soil 
of  prison  management  to  discover,  if  possible,  one  redeeming  trait 
in  the  management  of  prisons  of  this  State  during  the  period  in 
which  Colonel  Scott  was  in  control  but  I  have  not  found  one  sign 
to  show  that  he  was  either  competent,  conscientious  or  industrious. 

There  is  ample  evidence  to  prove  that  Colonel  Scott  was  poorly 
equipped  for  the  place  of  Superintendent  of  Prisons  and  that 
during  his  administration  the  prisons  deteriorated  with  a  speed 
that  threatened  complete  demoralization.  But  there  are  some 
things  that  even  he  could  have  done  to  relieve  the  bad  conditions 
in  Sing  Sing  if  he  had  cared  to.  If  he  had  sought  the  assistance 
of  Dr.  Farr,  the  prison  physician,  or  Dr.  Mareness,  the  assistant 
physician,  suggestions  for  improving  the  conditions  would  have 
been  made.  Or  he  might  have  had  the  aid  of  some  of  the  most 
competent  prison  men  and  the  advice  of  alienists  without  cost  to 
the  State  if  he  had  displayed  any  personal  interest  in  the  matter. 
There  is  not  an  atom  of  proof  that  Colonel  Scott  ever  contributed 
anything  of  value  to  the  prison. 

Where  Colonel  Scott  got  his  reputation  as  a  penologist  is  well 
known  to  many  prison  officials  and  it  is  fairly  well  known  to  me. 
It  did  not  grow  out  of  knowledge  but  came  from  the  imagination 
of  a  man  who  for  many  years  took  money  from  the  State  for 
services  which  were  not  rendered.  This  man  is  Frederick  Hamlin 
Mills,  concerning  whose  operations  a  separate  report  will  be  made 
if  you  desire  it,  and  which  will  contain  the  names  of  some  of  the 
men  concerned  with  him  in  his  schemes  and  who  shared  in  the 
large  profits  that  grew  out  of  them. 

I  asked  Warden  Kennedy  if  he  had  ever  known  of  Colonel  Scott 
making  any  suggestions  of  value  for  the  improvement  of  the  orison 
system  and  lie  replied  that  he  <li<l  not.  I  asked  Principal  Keeper 
Connaughton,  the  most  experienced  prison  man  in  the  State,  this 
quesl  ion  ; 

Q.  Did  you  ever  know  of  Colonel  Scott  visiting  the  cell  house, 
inspect  ing  the  cells,  or  hear  him  <li-ru-i~  any  methods  as  to  how  the 

890225 


conditions  here  could  be  relieved?  Mr.  Comiaugkton  replied:  A. 
I  have  seen  him  around  here  a  little. 

Then  I  asked: 

Q.  Are  you  familiar  with  the  conditions  of  dirt,  of  disease  and 
of  vileness  that  prevail  here?  And  he  replied:  A.  I  am,  Com- 
missioner. 

Then   1   asked  him  this  question: 

Q.  Is  Warden  Kennedy  aware  of  it?  He  replied:  A.  He 
knows  what  1   know. 

Q.   Was  Colonel  Scott  aware  of  it  I    A.   I  think  he  was. 

Q.  Do  you  know  of  your  own  knowledge  whether  Colonel  Scott 
ever  made  any  real  effort  to  clean  up  the  conditions  here  and  make 
the  prison  more  sanitary  \     A.   Xo.  sir. 

Here  is  an  extract  from  the  testimony  of  Dr.  Mareness,  the 
assistant  prison  physician: 

"  There  are  two  hundred  cells  flush  with  the  flagging.     In  the 

DO         O 

hot  months  moisture  on  the  walls  is  perceptible  and  tangible.  The 
cells  are  primarily  responsible  for  the  large  number  of  cases  of 
rheumatism  that  occur  in  the  prison.  A  number  of  these  cases 
have  been  severe  enough  to  incapacitate  a  man  so  that  upon  his 
discharge  he  was  partially,  if  not  wholly,  unfit  to  follow  his  usual 
work.  At  the  present  time  there  are  a  large  number  of  chronic 
rheumatism  cases.  Two  hundred  of  the  cells  are  occupied  by  two 
men.  These  cells  are  intended  only  for  one.  No  care  is  taken  in 
ing  the  two  men  who  have  to  occupy  a  single  cell.  A  man 
sentenced  to  prison  for  assault  and  undergoing  his  first  term  of 
imprisonment  is  sometimes  compelled  to  occupy  a  cell  with  an 
habitual  criminal.  The  cells  are  infected  with  vermin.  Tt  is  im- 
possible to  fumigate  or  disinfect  them. 

•"Any  improvement  that  occurred  during  the  administration  of 
Colonel  Scott  was  superficial  and  of  such  slight  import  as  to  have 

ide  no  impression  on  my  memory.  Colonel  Scott  was  indi  fferenl 
to  the  great  big  necessities.  I  do  not  consider  Colonel  Scott  a  good 
penologist.  During  his  administration  there  was  no  improvement 
in  the  bad  moral  conditions  that  prevail.  I  spoke  to  the  Colonel 
about  it  but  he  made  no  suggestions." 

Neither  Warden  Kennedy,  Air.  Connaughton,  the  prison  doc 


tors  or  any  man  employed  within  the  prison,  ever  attempted  to 
deny  the  frightful  conditions  that  prevail  within  the  prison  or  to 
defend  them.  The  worst  feature  of  the  prison  management  can- 
not be  discussed  in  any  public  document,  but  the  subject  is  of 
such  vital  importance  to  the  welfare  of  the  State  that  no  time 
should  be  lost  in  submitting  it  to  the  attention  of  men  competent 
to  present  a  method  of  bettering  a  condition  that  breeds  disease 
of  the  mind  and  body  and  that  should  touch  the  hearts  of  every 
man  with  any  human  instincts. 

One  man  said  to  me  that  the  only  offense  a  prisoner  could  com- 
mit, that  would  be  followed  by  speedy  punishment,  was  the  offense 
of  trying  to  get  something  to  eat.  He  told  me  stories,  amply 
corroborated,  of  such  frightful  character  as  to  appeal  to  the  most 
unfeeling  person.  Colonel  Scott  knew  of  the  existence  of  these 
horrors.  There  is  no  doubt  about  that  and  yet  he  never  made 
one  effort,  so  far  as  I  was  able  to  learn,  to  minimize  them.  !STor 
did  he  ever  seek  any  method  of  preventing  the  occupancy  of  the 
cells  by  two  men,  nor  to  see  that  when  the  men  were  placed  in  a 
cell  their  enforced  comradeship  would  be  in  any  sense  congenial. 
TIi!'  low  thief,  stricken  with  disease,  with  no  mental  capacity  and 
with  the  lowest  possible  instincts  has  often  been  locked  into  a  cell 
with  a  man  of  education,  of  some  ideals  and  of  clean  personal 
habits.  This  would  be  bad  enough  if  the  cells  were  light,  or  large, 
or  clean,  instead  of  being  dark,  and  small  and  filthy.  Also  they 
are  unsanitary  and  those  on  the  ground  floor  drip  with  moisture 
so  that  the  inmates  of  them  have  striven  to  protect  themselves 
from  the  chill  and  dampness  by  hanging  sheets  and  blankets  over 
the  walls.  In  these  cells  men  contract  rheumatism.  In  many 
cases  they  become  victims  of  chronic  rheumatism  and  go  out 
crippled  for  life. 

Into  none  of  the  cells  on  the  lower  tiers  has  a  ray  of  sunshine 
entered  for  eighty  years.  Stories  of  torture  of  prisoners  in  the 
middle  ages  sound  like  descriptions  of  luxuries  in  comparison  to 
the  tales  that  have  been  told  me  of  the  lives  that  some  of  the 
prisoners  in  Sing  Sing  live.  The  cramped  and  unhealthy  condi- 
tions are  made  worse  by  the  presence  of  vermin  in  the  cells. 
When  the  cell  house  men  are  let  out  in  the  morning  they  sweep 
out   the  refuse  from  their  cells.      Dust,  and  germs  are  swept,  down 


from  tier  to  tier  so  that  at  night  when  the  men  lie  down  for  rest 
their  pillows  are  covered  with  dirt.  Life  in  these  cells  is  torture 
to  every  grade  of  man  who  has  a  spark  of  imagination,  or  who 
ever  lived  in  a  decent  home.  Even  the  lowest  and  most  degraded 
man  must  undergo  cruel  and  unusual  punishment  when  couth  led 
in  these  cells  during  the  hours  of  the  ordinary  night.  But  when 
comes  Sunday  or  a  holiday  the  horror  of  the  situation  is  increased. 
During  these  periods  the  men  are  confined  in  their  cells  for  18 
and  19  hours  and  it  is  no  exaggeration  to  say  that  after  these 
periods  of  confinement  the  men  go  out  pale  and  staggering. 

A  Sunday  or  a  holiday  is  a  dreadful  thing  for  these  men.  It  is 
bad  enough  when  one  man  is  alone  in  the  cell,  but  when  the  men 
are  doubled  up  the  physical  suffering  is  greatly  increased.  There 
is  only  one  other  thing  that  could  add  to  the  misery  of  these  men 
and  that  one  thing  was  not  overlooked  by  Colonel  Scott  or  Warden 
Kennedy.  This  was  the  knowledge  that  certain  men  through 
political  influence,  or  by  the  payment  of  money,  or  by  some  other 
reason,  received  favors. 

I  shall  also  make  a  separate  report  along  these  lines  which  will 
require  a  special  investigation  in  an  effort  to  expose  men  in  this 
State,  some  of  them  public  officials,  who  banded  themselves  to- 
gether to  wring  money  from  these  prisoners.  I  have  evidence 
showing  that  because  of  influence,  exerted  by  men  well  known  in 
various  walks  of  life,  money  has  been  wrung  from  persons  seeking 
clemency  for  prisoners. 

If  the  commutations  and  pardons  bought  were  always  delivered 
there  would  have  been  a  glint  of  fairness  in  the  transactions,  but 
in  some  cases  the  "  goods  were  not  delivered." 

I  have  evidence  shewing  that  by  the  payment  of  money  men 
have  been  accorded  the  privilege  of  seeing  their  friends  alone  in  a 
room  adjacent  to  the  warden's  office.  I  strongly  suspect,  and  I 
believe  I  will  be  able  to  prove  it.  thai  certain  men  throughout  the 
State  have  used  employees  within  the  prison  to  ferret  oul  for 
them  prisoners  with  means  in  order  that  they  might,  by  promisee 
of  clemency  and  of  privileges,  wring  seine  money   from  them. 

This    frightful    condition    thrived    during    the    last,    two    years. 

There  are  several  important  lines  of  investigation  that  should  be 
taken  up  and  followed  to  the  very  end  in  order  thai  men  who  have 


lived  on  the  sufferings  of  others  should  be  exposed  and  the  prison 
ring  broken. 

Here  are  short  extracts  from  the  testimony  of  two  witnesses: 

Warden  Kennedy. 

"  At  the  present  time  the  cell  block  contains  1,200  cells  and  we 
have  over  1,500  prisoners.  This  necessitates  doubling  up  which 
is  a  crime  pure  and  simple.  On  the  lower  gallery  it  is  impos- 
sible to  keep  the  cells  dry.  The  moisture  on  the  walls  on  a  day 
like  this  is  awful.  You  can  scrape  the  water  off  the  walls.  I 
never  saw  anything  in  the  prison  reports  coming  from  Colonel 
Scott  that  was  of  any  value." 

Principal  Keeper  Connattghton. 

"  I  have  called  the  attention  of  Warden  Kennedy  to  the  condi- 
tion in  the  prison.  Colonel  Scott  never  asked  me  for  any  sug- 
gestions. He  seemed  to  think  that  he  knew  it  all  himself.  I 
think  that  conditions  were  just  as  good  under  Superintendent 
Collins  as  under  Superintendent  Scott  only  that  under  Scott 
things  were  slowing  up  a  little." 

Industrial  Department. 

The  Industrial  Department  of  the  prison  ought  to  be  successful 
because  labor  costs  practically  nothing;  there  are  no  overhead 
charges  and  a  ready  and  ample  market  waits  upon  the  product. 

Frederick  H.  Mills,  who  was  for  many  years  sales  agent  and, 
who  during  the  administration  of  Superintendent  Scott,  was  the 
master  of  them,  used  them  only  for  the  purpose  of  putting  money 
into  his  own  pocket.  I  asked  Warden  Kennedy  if  this  was  not  a 
fact  and  he  replied  that  it  was. 

Bad  as  the  industrial  conditions  of  Sing  Sing  prison  were 
prior  to  1911  they  grew  steadily  worse  from  that  time.  The  be- 
ginning of  this  last  era  of  bad  management  came  with  the  appoint- 
ment of  Patrick  J.  Tracy,  as  Superintendent  of  Industries  in  this 
prison.  The  place  had  been  in  the  competitive  list  of  the  Civil 
Service  but  Mr.  Tracy,  having  no  knowledge  of  any  branch  of  the 
work,  and  being  eligible  only  in  tJhe  sense  thai  hia  political  friends 
wante<|    to   find   a  j<>!>  for  him,  the   place  was  taken  out  of  the 


Civil  Service  and  Mr.  Tracy  was  appointed.  In  order  to  open 
this  door  for  him  the  doors  to  the  same  job  were  opened  also  in 
Auburn  and  Clinton  prisons.  I  asked  Mr.  Tracy  if  this  place 
had  been  taken  ont  of  the  Civil  Service  in  order  to  give  it  to  him 
and  he  replied :  "  I  presume  it  was." 

Asked  about  a  cartage  contract  that  the  industrial  department 
made  with  Michael  Bradley,  he  replied  that  the  contract  was 
made  by  Warden  Kennedy.  During  the  sixteen  months  before 
this  contract  was  given  to  Bradley  the  cartage  charges  of  the 
prison  were  $1,872.80.  In  the  seventeen  months  between  No- 
vember 11th  and  March  of  the  present  year  inclusive,  the  charges 
of  Bradley  amounted  to  $3,127.32.  The  products  of  the  industrial 
department  fell  off  considerably  during  Bradley's  term  of  service. 
When  this  situation  was  called  to  the  attention  of  Warden  Ken- 
nedy he  seemed  very  greatly  surprised  and  was  apparently 
ignorant  of  the  situation. 

In  1910  the  total  sales  of  the  industrial  department  amounted 
to  $406,937.67;  in  1911  to  $381,591.24,  and  in  1912  to 
$337,878.     In  the  first  six  months  of  the  present  fiscal  year, 

ginning  October  1st,  they  were  $183,417.13. 

The  profits  for  the  first  six  months  of  the  four  fiscal  years 
referred  to  were: 

1910 $76,749  70 

1911 51,765  69 

1912 30,052   16 

1913 44,140  33 


Without  making  any  charge  of  graft  or  dishonest  management 
I  desire  to  submit  these  figures  covering  purchases  of  lumber 
from  June  18,  1912,  to  October  9,  1912: 

1912. 

June     18.     5, 000  feet  yellow  pine  

July      19.   12,  000  feet  yellow  pine 

July      19.     .">.  000  feet  white  pine 

2,  500  feet  spruce   

0,  000  feet  spruce 

5,  000  feet  1J4  i"cn  spruce 

April    20.  Lumber    (per  1,000) 

Oct.         9.     5,  000  feet  No.  2  No.  Can.  pine,  12"  and  up 


Paid 

Low  bid. 

per  1,000. 

$27.75 

.$40.00 

22 .  50 

40.00 

29.00 

37.50 

1!   50 

50.00 

43.50 

52 .  00 

42.50 

52.00 

28 .  7r, 

1 ) 

39 .  00 

55 .  00 

The  following  two  purchases  were  made  without  competitive 
bidding.    But  one  bid  was  sent  out: 

One  car  load  of  Canada  cut  shorts.  Jones  Lumber  Company, 
of  North  Tonawanda,  N.  Y.,  received  the  order.  Their  letter 
was  read  at  the  prison  on  January  13,  1913,  and  the  lumber  was 
ordered  January  14,  1913. 

One  carload  of  Cypress  lumber,  bought  of  Jones  Lumber  Com- 
pany. The  order  amounted  to  18,000  feet  at  $54.50  per  M. 
Jones  &  Company  quoted  a  price  on  February  4,  1913,  and  the 
order  was  given  to  them  on  February  13,  1913. 

Ji.  D.  Jones  Lumber  Company  received  a  check  March  27,  1913, 
for:  10,104  ft.  8  x  4,  $722.44;  8,123  ft.  10  x  4,  $755.44;  total, 
$1,477.88. 

And  on  January  24,  1913,  a  check  for  22,743  ft.  of  4  in., 
$895.02  net. 

Peculiar  methods  of  buying  were  followed  in  every  one  of  the 
industrial  departments.  There  were  five  bidders  for  100  tons 
of  scrap  iron.  The  lowest  bid  was  $9  and  the  high  bid  was 
$15.50.     The  price  paid  was  $12.75. 

Mr.  Mills  bought  of  the  Elm  Woolen  Mills  $3,299  worth  of 
suiting  without  competitive  bidding. 

On  one  occasion  4,500  feet  of  lumber  was  bought  at  $78  per 
thousand  while  the  market  price  was  $62. 

In  many  cases  no  attempt  was  made  to  get  competitive  bids. 
The  orders  were  simply  sent  to  some  favored  concerns  who  sent 
what  they  liked  and  charged  what  they  liked  and  there  was  never 
any  question.  A  year  ago  there  was  a  specification  for  27,000 
of  bampico  sent  to  Wilkins  &  Co.,  of  New  York,  and  Wilkins 
Bros.,  of  New  Jersey.  The  latter  did  not  bid  and  the  order  was 
given  to  the  New  York  company.  I  do  not  know  whether  there 
is  any  connection  between  the  two  concerns,  but,  I  am  of  the 
opinion  that  the  specification  was  sent  to  both  concerns  with  the 
full  knowledge  that  only  one  concern  would  bid  and  that  the 
sole  object  in  sending  out  the  two  bids  was  to  make  the  record 
-how  that  an  effort,  had  been  made  to  get  bids  from  various 
concerns. 

On  nearly  all  of  the  orders  senl  out  appear  the  words  "best 


9 


quality."  It  appears  that  these  words  have  often  been  added  to 
the  memorandum  after  the  goods  have  been  delivered.  They 
meant  nothing. 

I  file  with  this  report  a  statement  showing  many  instances 
where  the  highest  bidder  got  the  orders.  Within  the  last  two 
years  $3.20  each  have  been  paid  for  axles,  when  the  lowest 
bidder  offered  them  for  $3.02. 

Stay  binding  was  bought  at  50  cents  gross  yard  when  the 
lowest  bid  was  32  cents. 

Low  bidder.  Paid. 

2.  000  yards  selisa    $0  06y2  $0  07% 

2,  000  yards  suiting   55  62y2 

3,  000  yards  suiting   14%  20 

1,  500  yards  fancy  suiting   59  65 

1,  000  yards  suiting   40  62% 

5,  000  yards  Oxford  suiting  18%  20 

4,  000  yards  Oxford  suiting  17%  19 

2,  200  yards  Oxford  suiting 18                 21 

10.  000  pairs  hemlock  insoles 7                   9% 

5,  000  pairs  women's  insoles 5                   7 

10,  000  horn   fibre   counters 1  40  ■       1  50 

4.  000  men's  horn  fibre  counters 1  35  1   50 

5.  000  feet  kangaroo  side  leather 16%  18 

5.  000  feet  black  glazed  side  leather 17  18 

1  barrel  furniture  varnish    (per  gal.) 17                  18 

3,  000  yards  bleached  sheeting 15                  17% 

100  tons  scrap  iron 9  00  12  75 

125  tons  pig  iron 15  65  16  00 

These  are  only  a  few  of  the  103  cases  filed  with  this  report 
where  the  high  prices  were  paid  for  material.  I  have  no  doubt 
but  that  in  the  cases  where  the  prices  higher  than  the  lowest 
bid  were  paid,  and  which  were  a  trifle  less  than  the  highest  bid, 
the  highest  bidder  got  the  contract  at  a  price  less  than  his  first 
bid.     That  there  was  collusion  seems  certain. 

The  methods  of  doing  business  in  the  industrial  department 
were  so  unbusinesslike,  to  use  no  stronger  phrase,  that  to  dip  in 
the  records  leads  to  the  gravest  suspicions. 

In  certain  cases  only  one  specification  was  sent  out.  In  some 
instances  the  names  of  firms  were  put  on  the  list  for  the  receipt 
of  specifications  when  it  was  well  known  from  the  records  that 
they  would  not  bid.  In  other  cases  it  appears  as  if  arrange- 
ments have  been  made  where  very  high  bids  have  been  sent  in 
to  give  the  excuse  for  accepting  lower  bids  that  were  really  ex- 
cessive.    Since  the  first  of  the  year  more  specifications  have  been 


10 

sent  out.  It  only  requires  an  honest  administration  to  eradicate 
this  incompetent,  wasteful  and  dishonest  way  of  doing  business. 
Another  sample  of  the  unbusinesslike  methods  that  prevail  is 
that  it  appears  there  has  been  no  effort  made  to  collect  accounts 
due  the  prison.     Here  is  a  list  of  the  account- : 

Bellevue   Hospital    $23,172  82 

Superintendent  of  Public  Charities 12,337  36 

Department  of  Street  Cleaning 15,331   75 

Central  Islip  State  Hospital 4,492  87 

Department  of  Health 6,113  19 

Department   of   Education 5,192  74 


Total $67,273   73 


Here  are  a  few  facts  showing  how,  during  the  last  two  years, 
the  business  has  deteriorated.  The  business  of  the  clothing  de- 
partment shows  a  profit  during  the  first  six  months  of  the  present 
fiscal  year  of  $7,027.24.  This  is  an  increase  over  the  profits  of 
the  corresponding  period  of  1912  of  $1,170.62  and  a  decrease 
for  the  same  months  of  1911  of  $5,712.12. 

The  shoe  shop  shows  a  profit  for  the  first  six  months  of  tin- 
fiscal  year  of  $6,117.51.  This  is  a  decrease  from  the  profits  of 
the  corresponding  period  of  1913  of  $1,197.98  and  of  $2,785.52 
under  the  receipts  of  1911. 

Another  striking  method  of  the  way  business  is  conducted  in 
this  prison  can  be  found  in  the  brush  shop.  In  1911  the  gross 
sales  were  $17,261.50,  on  which  there  was  a  profit  of  $3,199.50, 
and  in  1912  the  gross  sales  were  $21,103.97,  the  profits  on  which 
were  only  $2,782. 

The  gross  sales  for  the  first  six  months  of  the  fiscal  year,  1911, 
were  $1,866.82  —  over  three  times  the  profit  of  1912  on  sales 
which  were  about  $1,800  less  in  gross. 

I  consider  it  would  be  useless  to  make  any  further  investiga- 
tion into  this  matter.  All  that  is  needed  is  to  change  the  per- 
sonnel of  the  men  in  charge. 

On  an  order  from  Bellevue  Hospital  for  172  mattresses,  a  price 
of  35  cents  a  pound  was  quoted  by  Mills.     It  cost  26  cents  per 


1L 

pound  for  hair.     Fifty  dozen  brooms,  made  up  at  Mr.  Mills'  sug- 
gestion, were  never  sold. 

The  sash  and  door  department  of  the  prison  has  continued 
although  it  is  generally  admitted  that  the  department  is  of  no 
value  whatever  and  is  only  a  burden  for  the  prison  management 
to  carry. 

This  department  shows  a  loss  for  the  past  six  months  of 
$745.57,  and  practically  the  same  amount  for  the  corresponding- 
period  of  the  previous  fiscal  year. 

But  in  1911,  prior  to  the  administration  of  Superintendent 
Scott,  it  showed  a  profit  of  $6,718.66. 

The  cart  and  wagon  department  shows  a  profit  for  the  past 
six  months  of  $6,718.19,  an  increase  over  the  corresponding  period 
of  last  year  of  $3,498.44.  The  gross  sales  amounted  to  $79,676.56 
in  1911,  on  which  there  was  a  profit  of  $17,185.62.  In  1912 
there  was  a  profit  of  $22,890.84  on  gross  sales  of  only  $48,879.28. 

The  knitting  and  hosiery  department  is  the  most  important  one 
at  the  prison  and  it  showed  a  profit  for  the  past  six  months  of 
the  fiscal  year,  1913,  of  $17,159.20,  an  increase  of  $9,752.73  over 
the  profits  of  the  corresponding  period  of  last  year. 

The  figures  also  show  a  peculiar  condition  of  profits.  The  gross 
sales  for  1910  were  $120,368.48,  on  which  there  was  a  profit  of 
$48,640.28.  In  1911  the  sales  were  $109,181.32  and  the  profits 
were  only  $21,41 6.32.  This  was  a  loss  in  the  net  of  about  $27,000, 
while  the  gross  sales  decreased  only  about  $11,000. 

The  loose  and  unbusinesslike  methods  could  be  multiplied  indefi- 
nitely, but  I  think  the  facts  presented  here  are  sufficient  to  show- 
that  the  matter  needs  the  attention  of  some  man  conscientious' 
enough  to  forget  occasionally  his  pleasures  and  profits. 

The  Commissary  Department. 

The  waste  in  this  department  is  so  excessive  that  it  looks  very 
much  as  if  food  was  thrown  away  in  order  to  create  an  excuse  for 
buying  more  for  the  benefit  of  somebody's  pocket.  Good  beef 
comes  into  the  hands  of  the- storekeeper,  bad  beef  is  served  to  the 
inmates.  I  found  nobody  who  could  or  would  explain  this  strange 
occurrence.  It  may  be  thai  the  good  beef  is  exchanged  for  bad 
beef.     Such  a  suspicion  as  this  may  appear  foolish   because  it. 


12 


wmild  entail  a  roundabout  way  to  graft,  but  my  experience  in  the 
prisons  has  convinced  me  that  many  prison  officials  are  unsparing 
in  this  direction. 

Figures  from  the  commissary  department  excited  my  admira- 
tion of  the  capacity  of  the  warden  to  consume  beef.  During 
March  he  was  served  with  469  pounds,  which  seems  a  deal  of 
meat  for  one  family  to  eat.  If  these  figures  are  wrong  the  fault 
lies  with  the  bookkeeping  system  and  not  with  me.  During  the 
month  16,230  pounds  of  beef  were  bought  and  the  records  show 
that  it  was  disposed  of  in  the  following  fashion : 

Warden 469  pounds 

Principal  keeper    69  pounds 

Night  force    192  pounds 

Condemned  men    530  pounds 

Hospital 1,155  pounds 

Convicts 12,633  pounds 

On  hand 3  pounds 


This  left  1,179  pounds  to  be  accounted  for  and  it  was  promptly 
accounted  for  by  the  declaration  that  it  was  due  to  shrinkage. 
There  was  also  considerable  waste  but  this  was  not  referred  to  at 
the  time.     Later  this  reticence  was  overcome. 

The  more  beef  consumed  the  better  for  Armour  &  Co.,  who  sell 
the  prison  about  90  per  cent,  of  it,  thanks  to  an  active  agent.  I 
am  strongly  of  the  opinion  that  the  meat  bought  from  other  con- 
cerns on  some  other  plan  might  result  in  cutting  the  shrinkage 
down  to  something  less  than  40  per  cent. 

Some  reason  for  the  large  consumption  of  beef  appeared  when 
the  waste  was  looked  into.  I  thought  there  was  a  good  deal  of 
waste  in  the  other  prisons,  and  there  really  is,  but.  it  sang  small  in 
comparison  with  the  way  food  is  squandered  in  Sing  Sing.  The 
waste  is  at  least  25  per  cent.,  or  in  round  figures  about  $15,000 
a  year.  I  intended  going  into  the  various  items  of  waste  in  detail 
and  show  just  how  much  newly  cooked  food  was  thrown  away 
each  day.  lint  very  shortly  this  detailed  work  became  unnecessary 
because  the  broad  aspeel  of  the  matter  was  speedily  sufficienl  to 
prove  conclusively  thai   a   change   in   the  personnel   of  the  com- 


13 

inissary  department  would  mean  thousands  of  dollars  saved  for  the 
State. 

On  Tuesday.  April  8th,  1,000  pounds  of  food  were  taken  from 
the  tahles  and  thrown  into  the  swill  barrels.  This  food  consisted 
of  kamburg  steak,  vegetable  soup,  boiled  potatoes,  bread  and 
coffee.  From  Wednesday's  breakfast  alone  the  waste  weighed 
025  pounds.  Then,  suspecting  that  this  supervision  of  the  waste 
was  to  continue,  some  care  was  exercised  so  that  the  waste  from 
Thursday's  breakfast  was  only  200  pounds.  This  proved  that 
the  waste  was  wanton  and  that  only  indifferent  care  could  have 
reduced  it  at  least  one-third.  This  waste  runs  all  through  the 
department.  Sixteen  hundred  pounds  of  potatoes  weighed  only 
1,100  pounds  after  they  were  pared. 

The  method  of  buying  flour  for  the  prison  is  mysterious.  All 
kinds  of  bids  are  sent  out,  but  one  concern  nearly  always  gets  the 
order.  When  the  flour  conies  to  the  prison  in  carload  lots  the  re- 
ceipts are  signed  by  FrederickJ.  HJahn,  the  kitchen  keeper.  Mr. 
Halm  was  asked  : 

Q.  Do  you  count  the  number  of  barrels?     A.   Not  always. 

Q.  The  storekeeper  says  it  is  all  right  and  you  sign  your  name 
to  the  receipt?     A.  Yes,  sir. 

Q.  It  might  he  250,  -300,  or  350  barrels?     A.   Yes,  sir. 

Mr.  Ilahn  said  that  the  whole  codfish  was  bought  by  order  of 
Colonel  Scott  and  that  the  method  was  wrong.  Scrap  codfish, 
he  said,  was  cheaper  and  more  nutritious  and  there  was  no  waste 
to  it. 

Then  came  this  testimony: 

Q.  Did  Colonel  Seott  ever  speak  to  you  in  regard  to  methods  in 
running  the  kitchen?  A.  I  do  not  know  whether  ho  asked  mo 
about  better  methods,  but  I  know  1  have  had  argument-  with  him 
in  regard  to  the  methods  we  were  working  under. 

Q.  Did  your  arguments  have  any  effect?  A.  Ho  told  me  to 
get  out  of  the  office. 

Q.  Do  you  think  you  could  -avo  $1,000  a  month  under  different 
method*  \  A.  Yes,  if  I  could  do  the  buying  as  it  oughl  to  he 
done. 

Q.  That  is,  under  honest,  ordinary  business  methods  \  A.  Yes. 
sir. 


14 


Q.  Are  the  articles  you  receive  up  to  specifications  ?  A.  I  do 
not  know ;  I  would  have  to  see  the  samples,  and  they  are  not  kept 
here. 

Q.  They  are  kept  in  Albany?    A.  I  think  so. 

Lyman  S.  Gibbs,  the  storekeeper,  talked  glibly  about  the  various 
firms  that  sold  goods  to  the  prison,  but  he  neglected  to  mention 
the  firm  of  R.  C.  Williams  &  Co.  When  he  was  asked  if  this  con- 
cern did  not  furnish  a  fair  share  of  the  goods  for  the  commissary 
department  he  explained: 

"  You  see,  they  deputize  a  man  named  Theodore  Linington,  Jr., 
who  makes  the  contracts  for  them.  Instead  of  selling  the  goods 
direct,  that  firm  allows  Linington  to  furnish  the  goods  in  his  own 
name." 

The  commissary  department  of  the  prison  is  run  along  in- 
competent if  not  dishonest  lines.  There  is  criminal  carelessness 
if  not  downright  grafting.  Signs  that  this  is  the  case  stick  out 
as  plentifully  as  quills  on  the  back  of  a  frightened  porcupine. 

Respectfully  submitted, 

GEORGE  W.  BLAKE, 

Commissioner. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 
Los  Angeles 

This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


JAN  2  8  1959 


Form  L9-40m-7,'56(C790s4)444 


—ess-" 


■-ffiZ Hlake  - 

J  8352     Report  on  Sing 


RtNPiTRY 


Alid       Q  VI— 5 


HV 

8352 
353r 


AA    000  393  591    3 


